Acta Structuralica

international journal for structuralist research

Series | Book | Chapter

177672

Quantum mechanics without probabilities

Peter Mittelstaedt

pp. 189-200

Abstract

Usually, quantum mechanics is considered as the prototype of a probabilistic theory. In contrast to statistical mechanics, dice throwing, and roulette game, quantum mechanical probability statements cannot be reduced to causally determined individual events, whose explicit calculation is, however, too complicated for all practical purposes. Even hypothetically, one must not assume that quantum mechanical events were determined in principle and merely computationally intractable, since that assumption would lead to probabilistic predictions which contradict quantum mechanics. Hence, the title of this article seems somewhat surprising at first glance, and in particular it seems difficult to connect a probability free quantum mechanics with the work of John von Neumann.

Publication details

Published in:

(2001) John von Neumann and the foundations of quantum physics. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 189-200

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-2012-0_12

Full citation:

Mittelstaedt Peter (2001) „Quantum mechanics without probabilities“, In: , John von Neumann and the foundations of quantum physics, Dordrecht, Springer, 189–200.